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Session 4 - Champions Against the Elven Oppressors
The heroes decide to rest for the evening, especially after their human cleric companion, Edlee, was downed temporarily by the vicious, monstrous rats. Early the next morning, tiefling sorcerer Vanderjesus spots some figures in the underbrush creeping up on the party while she's on watch, and wakes her companions. The figures break off into groups, but notice they've been spotted, and call on the heroes to give up all their gold. Mindratis, the Sylvan elf rogue, clambers up a tree and begins to loosen arrows at the bandits. Aubrey, the half-air spirit monk, Phryne, the half-orc fighter and Edlee charge into battle and begin to subdue the attackers. Vanderjesus blasts the bandits with a jet of fire, and the leader calls on his companions to book it out of there. The heroes will have none of that, and pursue the bandits through the woods. Phryne manages to skewer a couple of the bandits with her trident, practically eviscerating the midsection of one. Vanderjesus pops off more spells in pursuit, and Aubrey sprints through the trees and initiates a running jump takedown, knocking one of the bandits out cold for questioning. They bring the bandit back to camp, where Mindratis stayed behind to make breakfast for his companions while they chased everyone through the woods. The terrified bandit is able to provide little to them, and they decide to strip him naked and send him back to town wearing a sign that says "thief." Aubrey gives him a kiss on the forehead, Phryne gives him a pat on the buttcheek, and the heroes send the lone, naked bandit running for his life. Returning to the burnt out manor, the heroes head further into the caverns, where they find husks of giant bugs and desiccated goblin corpses. When they begin to descend into the underground cavern, they hear a frantic screeching. Once inside the cavern, the heroes encounter a number of centipede creatures. At the far end, standing over an overturned mining cart, is a humanoid creature made entirely of centipedes. Two centipedes, the size of cats along with two huge swarms of centipedes attack. Vanderjesus makes sure to warn her companions of possibly explosive kegs, and despite Phryne taking enough damage to down her, she is helped by Edlee to return to battle, and the heroes make quick work of the centipede creatures. Underneath the overturned mining cart, the heroes discover a starved, exhausted little goblin named Belk. He frantically explains, in broken Common, how he's been trapped in the cave for days. The companions notice how the goblin is clutching a small wooden box, and, with a combination of kindness from Aubrey and threats from his friends, they extricate the box. Inside is a deed to the manor property going back to the signing of the Directorate Accord, although recently the property was sold by the local elven magistrate, Naerben, to a Master Gazek of Gobelton for a large sum of gold. Belk explains that Gazek was his boss, and that he was ordered by his boss to get the deed to Gazek, though his boss is now dead. The adventurers question the goblin, and learn that the goblins came west to mine the teal stone, which Vanderjesus had previously studied and found to have subtle magical properties. Belk explains that goblins take the teal stone to factories to burn, although he doesn't know why. As the heroes turn to leave the cavern, a figure stands near the entrance to the cavern. The newcomer describes themself as Fairy Dragon (PC of Randy), a guardian of the forest, sent by the Spirit of the Forest to protect the heroes and fight at their side. Dressed in roughspun robes and hide and headdress made out of natural materials to look like antlers, Fairy Dragon explains how they don't remember their original name, but demonstrates their powers to cure. The heroes accepts their quiet, strange new companion cautiously. Content that they have what they need to satisfy their work for the Bridgton New Church of Apexion, with Belk in tow, the heroes head above ground and camp out for the night, though the frightened goblin manages to sneak away from them in the dark of night. As they near Bridgton the next morning, the heroes are stopped by a troupe of elven guards under the command of a Protectorae, a captain of the Directorate forces. She at first orders the companions to throw down their weapons and approach slowly to be arrested, which doesn't suit the heroes. Eventually they convince her of the shady dealings going on with the Magistrate's property. The Protectorae, Vaeon, is aware of the Magistrate's habits, and tells the heroes how she never authorized a full troupe of elven guards to stop travellers from walking along Fisher's Road, nor to attack travellers. She asks the heroes to present the deed to the local human lord, Robart. Beneath Bridgton's Crimson Spire, Magistrate Naerben is dragged before the heroes and Lord Robart under the orders of the Protectorae. The heroes show the deed to Lord Robart, and the local ruler places the magistrate under arrest, and declares the heroes as champions of human liberation from elven oppression, which makes a few of the heroes a bit uneasy. Phryne, especially, notices that those who are the most happy with the arrest of the Directorate magistrate are acolytes and worshippers from the New Church of Apexion, a radical pro-human religion. The local Directorate forces are troubled to suddenly find themselves without direct leadership in a hostile human town. However, the heroes are celebrated for their accomplishment of uncovering the corruption of a magistrate. Aubrey checks in with Fineous at the New Church, who is very pleased with the heroes for so thoroughly discrediting the Naerben. While their obligation to the New Church is complete, Fineous explains how a message from a settlement a good distance away from Bridgton along the Lowlands Highroad called on the New Church for aid. A New Church of Apexion worshipper at the settlement needs help with marauding heathens, and asked the New Church in Bridgton for troops, which they don't have. Fineous explains how there could be gold or other resources if the heroes are able to help. Mindratis spends the evening checking in with his criminal contacts in the docks, while the mysterious Fairy Dragon heads out of town to meditate in the woods for the rest of the day. Edlee goes to check in at the House of 1000 Ribbons, with Vanderjesus following close behind for some well deserved debauchery (another threesome, of course) at her favourite brothel, and Phryne heads to the docks to see the action going on at the town's fighting pit. That evening, Fairy Dragon and Aubrey spends time with Eeyore the heroes' mule, who'd been left with the kind innkeeper. Mindratis has an encounter with some streetwalkers, whom he gives some money before dashing off into the night. Edlee, Vanderjesus and Phryne spend the evening in the Lusty Lad, a tavern, where the fighter and the cleric got into a drinking contest with some locals. After three rounds, everyone had passed out but the twinky, firecrotch cleric, who took a pot of gold before hauling Phryne up to bed to sleep off the booze. Phryne wakes up the next morning with a massive hangover. ACTIVE QUESTS -Investigate the encroaching dark forces from the East for the forest spirit (party thinks teal stone, these goblin factories and Gazek from Gobelton have something to do with it) -Escort Edlee to Elysium -Look into the attacks at the settlement for the New Church of Apexion